February 15, 2020
Netflix Wins Bid for Nipsey Hussle Documentary Directed by Ava DuVernay
The marathon doesn’t look like it’s gonna end any time soon! Streaming giant Netflix has obtained the rights to air a Nipsey Hussle (Ermias Joseph Asghedom) documentary that was directed by Ava DuVernay, according to Deadline.
DuVernay was approached about the project by Nipsey‘s family. This will be DuVernay‘s third documentary after When They See Us and her Oscar-nominated film 13th. The director just recently introduced a tribute to the late Nipsey Hussle at the 2020 Grammy Awards with performances by Meek Mill, DJ Khaled, and John Legend.
The documentary will be a collaboration between DuVernay’s ARRAY company banner and Hussle’s Marathon Films and will be directed and produced by DuVernay. According to an Instagram post from The Marathon Clothing account, Roc Nation and Nipsey‘s two children, Kross and Emani Asghedom will be executive producers. The feature-length documentary will focus on his life, work and activism up until he was shot and killed in front of his Marathon Clothing store located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles last March.
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A petition was started to rename the intersection of Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard near Hussle’s store, Marathon Clothing, to “Nipsey Hussle Square.” On the day of his funeral, the City Council announced it was set to be renamed Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom Square to honor him and his contributions to the neighborhood. He is survived by his 3-year-old son Kross Ermias with his longtime girlfriend, Lauren London, and his 11-year-old daughter Emani from a previous relationship.
In 2018, DuVernay signed a $100 million deal with Warner Bros Television Group. The multi-year deal includes projects that will cover drama, documentaries, comedies, digital content and event projects for broadcast and cable, premium cable and streaming services. She is currently working on a big-screen version of Jack Kirby’s New Gods which is being co-written by DuVernay and Tom King.